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CU impresses in Maui opener

By Ryan Thorburn Camera Sports Writer

Posted:
11/24/2009 12:01:56 AM MST

Updated:
11/24/2009 12:02:02 AM MST

LAHAINA, Hawaii -- The Buffs made Jeff Bzdelik proud.

Colorado played at a very high level Monday on college basketball's largest early-season stage without the third-year head coach, who flew from Maui to Chicago late Sunday to be with his ailing mother.

The Buffs executed Bzdelik's offense flawlessly in the first half, held their own on the glass against a much bigger opponent, and nearly pulled off an upset of Gonzaga in the opener of the EA Sports Maui Invitational.

Associate head coach Steve McClain had not heard from Bzdelik as he prepared to leave the Lahaina Civic Center following CU's 76-72 defeat.

"I haven't talked to him and knew I wouldn't," McClain said. "When we talked yesterday when he was leaving he said, 'I won't call you. You know what we're going to do.'

"I'm sure Jeff watched the game and I'm sure he's proud of these kids."

Bzdelik put the Buffs through some intense practices and had the game plan for Gonzaga in place before his sudden departure. CU was the sharper team and led by as many as 15 points in the first half after executing the offense to near perfection.

"I thought Colorado did a phenomenal job preparing for us," Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said. "Steve McClain knows us and they were ready. It was obviously a game they were pointing towards. They spread us out and made shots."

McClain coached Wyoming to a major upset over Gonzaga in the 2002 NCAA Tournament.

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After the Buffs made seven of their first 11 3-pointers in the first half it looked like they would be the surprise team in the winner's bracket here.

The Bulldogs (3-1) didn't panic, however, and held CU without a 3-pointer in the second half. Gonzaga was able to slow the game down with a zone defense and pulled out the victory at the foul line where Few's team made more free throws (27) than the Buffs attempted (18).

"We're going to get to the point where we walk on the court and believe we're going to win every time, like Gonzaga does," McClain said. "I give Mark credit. I know people still sometimes talk about them as a mid-major program. I don't know why you would. That was a Big 12 type of environment out there."

CU athletic director Mike Bohn, who is doing his best to enjoy Maui while mulling over the future of football coach Dan Hawkins, appears to have a great situation on the men's basketball bench.

Bzdelik is one of the most respected coaches in the country. And McClain's experience as a head coach has helped the Buffs get off to a strong start this season.

"The first game when I had to sub in for Jeff, I told the players, 'What if today is the only day you get to play this game, what do you want people throughout the country to think of your program?'" said McClain, who coached CU to a win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff when Bzdelik was in North Carolina attending to a family emergency involving his daughter. "I want them to feel the same way (today), whether it's Arizona or Wisconsin. We've got to play with that desperate energy again. It doesn't matter who it's against."

Crawford plays big

Casey Crawford looked like the player Wake Forest once believed would be a perfect fit in the ACC.

The 6-9 Wake Forest transfer, who was inconsistent for CU last season, came off the bench and gave McClain a huge lift with 10 points, two blocks, two steals, two rebounds and an assist in 23 minutes.

Crawford's performance helped the under-sized Buffs compete in the paint with the Zags.

"I don't like to use the word compete. I don't go out there just to compete," Crawford said. "We didn't come all the way to Hawaii to compete, we came to win. Yeah, we played pretty well, but we didn't do enough to win."

Four different players scored in double figures for the balanced Buffs. Cory Higgins (19 points) and Alec Burks (11 points) each had six rebounds.

CU had to wait about eight hours to find out who today's opponent was. McClain said opening the tournament is an advantage for the Buffs, who will face the winner of the Arizona-Wisconsin (Monday's fourth game) at 2 p.m. today (ESPN2).

"I was kind of glad we had the first game. Win or lose, you get more recovery time and more time to get off your feet and get ready," McClain said. "I think it's kind of fun to open a tournament. The excitement in the gym had a great feel to it."

Bouldin impressed

Matt Bouldin, a former ThunderRidge High School star who grew up in Highlands Ranch, spent part of his offseason working out with some of the Buffs in Boulder.

The Gonzaga star said he was still a little surprised with how well CU played in the first half and relieved to beat his home state university.

"It meant a lot," Bouldin said. "I've been playing with those guys all summer long. I've known a lot of them since high school and grade school. It was nice going against them, but I really wanted to win."

Shorthanded Buffs

Levi Knutson dressed for the game and went through warm ups before Monday's game after missing the first three games with a hip injury. The junior shooting guard was not used by McClain.

Junior forward Trent Beckley was unable to play due to a stomach virus. He joined Shannon Sharpe (knee injury) and Rick Higgins (redshirting) on the end of the bench.

Quotable

"I told the kids, 'You didn't come here to play one game. You came here to get better every day,'" McClain said. "All that means is you have to go back out (today) and bring it again. It's easy to bring it in the first game. And that's going to be my challenge to them here tonight."

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